The book will force the reader to question what they know about existence. Existence in a humanistic sense is awareness or consciousness. Consciousness is the medium of knowledge, as well as receptacle of identity and awareness. Simply put, the human consciousness is nothing more than thoughts which represent experiences. The world we live in is one of fabrication, reality twisted into subjectivity by difference in thought. Memories have a great deal of power in this fabricated world. This is a topic encapsulated by Carol Shields' 1993 novel, The Stone Diaries. The novel follows the life of Daisy Goodwill, a woman defined by her tragic past and disfigured future. Placing focus on the characters, this novel explores their traits, flaws, thoughts
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While writing in her diary, Daisy explores what had come of her mother's grave: "Where my mother's solitary gravestone once sat, now rises a hollow tower some thirty feet in height and still growing" (Shields 64). This tower was symbolic of Mercy and the towering presence she once had in her husband's life. This tower of memory buried her as her own weight had in life. It also became a piece for which tourists would come to visit, something that has at one point been the focus of someone's life; it was more meaningful than Mercy had ever been simply due to the volume by which it influenced lives. Mercy Goodwill's wedding ring may have directly influenced fewer people, but it still produced incredible change. Cuyler Goodwill was considering what he would like added to his time capsule and came to the conclusion that the ring should be buried: "Far less troubling to bury this treasure beneath a weight of stone [...] His statement of finality" (Shields 183). Her wedding ring is symbolic of Cuyler's bond with Mercy. By burying it, he has decided that it is time he let her go. This seventy-four year old bond had changed lives, built towers and influenced countless people. This ring and the memories it represent are far more significant than Daisy ever was as an individual. One of those influenced by the ring was Daisy, who Warren attempts to understand in detail. He discusses a theory for his mother's depression and while doing this begins to speak of her diploma: "She has a degree in Liberal Arts from Long College for Women, class of 1926, but ask her where her diploma is and she'll just give a shrug" (Shields 251). This hidden diploma is symbolic of Daisy's lost self. Her academics were something she is said to have been passionate about, yet she gave it up. She threw away her girlhood along with her diary and gave up her academic ambitions. She had squandered her potential
While writing in her diary, Daisy explores what had come of her mother's grave: "Where my mother's solitary gravestone once sat, now rises a hollow tower some thirty feet in height and still growing" (Shields 64). This tower was symbolic of Mercy and the towering presence she once had in her husband's life. This tower of memory buried her as her own weight had in life. It also became a piece for which tourists would come to visit, something that has at one point been the focus of someone's life; it was more meaningful than Mercy had ever been simply due to the volume by which it influenced lives. Mercy Goodwill's wedding ring may have directly influenced fewer people, but it still produced incredible change. Cuyler Goodwill was considering what he would like added to his time capsule and came to the conclusion that the ring should be buried: "Far less troubling to bury this treasure beneath a weight of stone [...] His statement of finality" (Shields 183). Her wedding ring is symbolic of Cuyler's bond with Mercy. By burying it, he has decided that it is time he let her go. This seventy-four year old bond had changed lives, built towers and influenced countless people. This ring and the memories it represent are far more significant than Daisy ever was as an individual. One of those influenced by the ring was Daisy, who Warren attempts to understand in detail. He discusses a theory for his mother's depression and while doing this begins to speak of her diploma: "She has a degree in Liberal Arts from Long College for Women, class of 1926, but ask her where her diploma is and she'll just give a shrug" (Shields 251). This hidden diploma is symbolic of Daisy's lost self. Her academics were something she is said to have been passionate about, yet she gave it up. She threw away her girlhood along with her diary and gave up her academic ambitions. She had squandered her potential